The FA Cup returns on Saturday, April 16 where Manchester City and Liverpool will go head to head for a third time this season. Both previous encounters between the two sides ended in a stalemate but this time a winner will be guaranteed. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace have also reached the semi-final under new manager Patrick Vieira. However, they will have a tough time getting to the final as they battle Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea side.
FA Cup Returns With Two Blockbuster Ties
Manchester City v Liverpool
This is the game that most football fans will be looking forward to. England’s two greatest teams in recent years will clash once again this season. Their first encounter took place at Anfield in October. Mohamed Salah stole the show with a spectacular solo goal but the game ended as a 2-2 draw. The teams faced each other again more recently at the Etihad which also ended in a 2-2 draw. They will now fight it out at Wembley where there will have to be a winner.
Pep Guardiola’s side is undefeated in their last ten games in all competitions. The Cityzens have qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League after beating Atletico Madrid 1-0 on aggregate. However, during the second leg, Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne were both forced off with injuries. De Bruyne was the best player on the pitch the last time Liverpool and Manchester City played and scored in both of their prior games this season. The midfield battle will be much more open without his inclusion this weekend.
Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp’s side also advanced to the semi-finals of the Champions League after beating Benfica 6-3 on aggregate. Klopp was offered the luxury of resting several key players including Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold during the second leg. Liverpool will definitely be the much fresher side and will feel they have the advantage going into this huge cup game.
Chelsea v Crystal Palace
Unlike Liverpool and Manchester City, Chelsea were unable to win the Champions League quarter-final fixture and were knocked out by Real Madrid. Despite their best efforts at the Bernabeu, Thomas Tuchel’s side were unable to advance. This means the FA Cup is the only realistic trophy Chelsea could win this season. The players will undoubtedly be motivated to bounce back from their European setback and do all they can to reach the FA Cup final for the second time in two years.
Crystal Palace on the other hand did not play during the week. This means Patrick Vieira has had an entire week to prepare his side for Chelsea. Vieira only took charge of Crystal Palace last summer but there have already been immense improvements. They currently sit tenth in the Premier League and could see themselves in an FA Cup final for the first time since 2016.
Who Will Reach the FA Cup Final?
Both fixtures are incredibly tough to call. Vieira will look to lead Crystal Palace to their first major trophy in the club’s history whereas Tuchel will look to end a rather disappointing season for Chelsea with silverware. Klopp and Guardiola will look to one-up each other in their trilogy tie of the season. However, the two managers will also be well aware that they could meet a fourth time this season in a potential Champions League final.
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